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IOST SECRET
London,
October 27, 1940.
To:
Purvis
From:
Salter
Please request Mr. Morgenthau to convey the
following message to the President from former naval
person:
"We have not yet heard what Vichy has agreed
to.
If, however, they have betrayed warships and
African and other Colonial harbours to Hitler, our
already heavy task will be grievously aggravated. If
Oran and Bizerta become German-Italian submarine bases,
our hopes of stopping or impeding the reinforcement
of the hostile army now attacking Egypt will be destroyed,
and the heaviest form of German-organized Italian attack
must be expected. The situation in the Western Medi-
terranean will also be gravely worsened. If Dakar is
betrayed, very great dangers will arise in the Atlantic
unless we are able to rectify the position, which will
not be easy.
On the other hand, the announcement of Vichy's
terms may lead to much desired revolt in the French
Empire, which we should have to aid and foster with
further drains upon our slowly expanding resources.
Either way, therefore, immense exertions will
be required from us in the Mediterranean during the
next year.
We are endeavouring to assemble a very large
army in the Middle East, and the movement of troops
thither from all parts of the Empire, especially from
the Mother country, has for some months past been un-
ceasing. The campaign which will develop there cer-
tainly in the new year, and which may involve Turkey
and Greece, makes demands upon our shipping and munitions
output and resources which are enormous and beyond our
power without your help to supply to a degree which
would ensure victory.
All the time we have to provide for the de-
fence of the island against invasion which is fully
mounted and for which sixty of the best German divisions
and superior Air Forces stand ready.
Lastly the U-boat and air attacks upon our
only remaining life line, the northwestern approach,
will be repelled only by the strongest concentration
of our flotillas.
REGRADED
UNCLASSIFIED
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"ocrText": "IOST SECRET\nLondon,\nOctober 27, 1940.\nTo:\nPurvis\nFrom:\nSalter\nPlease request Mr. Morgenthau to convey the\nfollowing message to the President from former naval\nperson:\n\"We have not yet heard what Vichy has agreed\nto.\nIf, however, they have betrayed warships and\nAfrican and other Colonial harbours to Hitler, our\nalready heavy task will be grievously aggravated. If\nOran and Bizerta become German-Italian submarine bases,\nour hopes of stopping or impeding the reinforcement\nof the hostile army now attacking Egypt will be destroyed,\nand the heaviest form of German-organized Italian attack\nmust be expected. The situation in the Western Medi-\nterranean will also be gravely worsened. If Dakar is\nbetrayed, very great dangers will arise in the Atlantic\nunless we are able to rectify the position, which will\nnot be easy.\nOn the other hand, the announcement of Vichy's\nterms may lead to much desired revolt in the French\nEmpire, which we should have to aid and foster with\nfurther drains upon our slowly expanding resources.\nEither way, therefore, immense exertions will\nbe required from us in the Mediterranean during the\nnext year.\nWe are endeavouring to assemble a very large\narmy in the Middle East, and the movement of troops\nthither from all parts of the Empire, especially from\nthe Mother country, has for some months past been un-\nceasing. The campaign which will develop there cer-\ntainly in the new year, and which may involve Turkey\nand Greece, makes demands upon our shipping and munitions\noutput and resources which are enormous and beyond our\npower without your help to supply to a degree which\nwould ensure victory.\nAll the time we have to provide for the de-\nfence of the island against invasion which is fully\nmounted and for which sixty of the best German divisions\nand superior Air Forces stand ready.\nLastly the U-boat and air attacks upon our\nonly remaining life line, the northwestern approach,\nwill be repelled only by the strongest concentration\nof our flotillas.\nREGRADED\nUNCLASSIFIED"
}